DirecTV customers lose The Weather Channel

LOS ANGELES -- About 20 million DirecTV customers nationwide are without The Weather Channel because of a dispute over fees between the channel and the satellite service.

The two companies pointed fingers at each other late Monday night after a midnight EST deadline for renegotiation of carriage fees passed without an agreement.

In a statement, David Kenny, CEO of The Weather Channel's parent company, The Weather Co., said it offered DirecTV the best rate for its programming. Kenny accused the satellite provider of putting profits ahead of its customers' needs.

DirecTV called the loss of The Weather Channel "regrettable" in a statement, adding that it would continue to provide its customers with weather news on its WeatherNation channel.